Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-07-07
HISTORIC HORSES.
Two Equines That the Pioneers
should Notice.


Tathared in the stable at the rear Oh
cosv little cottage, on Olive street, stano
two horses who have history that is
worthy of rotice among the many asso'
Citations with the past that Los Angeles
nossesses. They were once owned oy
John d. Lee, the leader OF the eele'
brated Mountain Meadow massacre In
Utah--ia fact, one Of thsm was used by
that celebrity as a saddle animal at that
time. Lee owned ranch in Southern
Utah. and was what is termed wei
fixed. !" He had eight wives and a large
horse and cattle ranch, and was very
popular among the residents where he
lived. He traded good deal in stock,
and in 1865 he sold his saddle-horse and
another animal to Ii. Bosshard, who was
then occupying clearing near
the South San George River.
Those were troublous days
for the early pioneers - war.
like Indians infested the mountains and
made periodical descents upon those
whom they regarded as encroachers on
their domain, and smoking ruins and
desolate hearths told the tale of their
fiendish raids. Bosshard had heard
glowing accounts of q land in South.
ern California where the sun always
shone and the settlers grew rich from
the bountiful gifts which Nature
showered forth with q lavish hand, and
in 1870 he packed his household effects
together and harnessing his trusty
horses in the wagon, he and his family
set forth for the land of promise. 1t
was q perilous journey he had under
taken, as besides the Indians there was
danger to be feared from the hands of
the Mormons. The members of Smiths
church waged a religious war against all
"Gentiles," as they termed the non.con-
formers to their creed, and wo unto the
luckless wight who was suspected of
being inimical to their faith, and who
came within the pale of their vengeance.
Bo sshard knew OF all these dangers, but
he was determined to carry out his plans
and he decided to take the southern
trail. Down the South San George be
went, and following the Rio Virgin he
soon came to the first of those tracts of
sterile land which were of such terror to
the emigrants who crossed the plains
long before the days of the iron horse.
The desert was sixty.tive miles wide, but
taking advantage OF the night he crossed
it safely and reached the welcome haven
of Las Vegas, in Northern Arizona.
Here he found miners out
tit, which was also going towards
N,.fz-:. r-J boI haar ou.oc.na1
there two days in the hopes of obtaining
company on the journey. Combining
their forces the detachment moved on,
and although at times they saw bands
of mounted Apsches in the distance,
their numerical force evidently pre-.
vented any descents on their train, and
they crossed safely the second desert of
so miles which lays between Kingston
Springs and Peter Springs. Here they
risked a day or two, previous to cross.
inc the As miles of waste which lay
between them and Mojave, and after the
accomplishment of that trip they felt
that the worst of the journey was over.
L ,aving tle miners there, Bosshard
journeyed on, following the
base of the mountain. and on
tae morning OF the 23d day after he had
started from his Utah home he saw the
little hamlet of San Bernardino in the
distance. A struggling village, yet one
bearing signs of the great prosperity of
| its inhabitants was what he found and
he would have tarried there, but the
omega of his desires had not yet been
attained. Turning toward Los Angeles
he found well.travel eled road in that
direction, and on the evening Of the
25th day, just as the sun was flashing
his farewell rays on the summit of
snow-crowned Old Baldy, he drove into
the City OF the Angels and
camped about five blocks west of
where the court house now stands.
1t was charming city even
in those days and so Bosshard
thought as he strolled down the wind
ing streets and heard the tinkling of the
the guitar resounding from within the
walls of the adobe houses, as he gazed
on the wealth of orange groves and
fertile vineyards that stretched away in
every direction.
The next morning he started to search
for a suitable location for himself and
family, and decided to erect house at q
spot fifty feet from where Hazards Pavi.-
ion now stands. There was but sprink.
ling of houses to be seen there in those
times. Remi Nadeau and Colonel Haz-
ard occupied the only two buildings in
the actual vicinity and there were no
blocks to be walked round nor hitchipg
ordinances to be observed when he went
to the town. Since that day Mr..
Bosshard has occu pied the location upon
which he settled at that time of his arri.
val seventeen years ago and he has seen
the town growup around him with rapid.
ity that has We'd with the growth of any
city in the worlds history. And in his
stable are the faithful animals who bore
him to the Arcadia of his dreams, though
the evening of their life is spent and the
day of dissolution which will number
them among the host Of the departed is
close at hand.